Catch for motor vehicle hoods



July 21, 1931. R. WILEY 1,815,690

CATCH FOR MOTOR VEHICLE HOODS Filed Dec. 6', 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTO RN EYS July 21. 1931. w. R. WILEY CATCH FOR MOTOR VEHICLE HOODS Filed Dec. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wv n INVENTOR 'ATTORNEYS I, :PatenteclJuly I p, g I

, g igourang; STATES P TENT Fr es 7 l r wxnnmon nETIioI'r, IcHrGAn I p f; 12cm;resumes -x rnizucnn noons i filijcjationfiledheceniber e, 1929, seriaimii acis.

-This'inventionrelates.to hood'catc'heszfor the dash against which abuts one marginalv the engine-hoods ofsmoto vehicles, and has edge of each of the hingedly correiated'hood for its object an improved organization'of walls, C and D, which arch over either side parts by: means of 'which'the hood panels of the engine block. In conformity with the 5 hi h a hi ged or otherwise supported at usual practice, I have shown two of my im- 5:5

their meetingtop edges over the engine block proved catch constructions as applied to the may .be-firm1y securedf'attheir'lower edges to lower edge of each one of the hood walls" the chassis of the vehicle or such supported G and D, one catch element near the forward 7 structural parts thereof as'the dash or radiaedge thereof, that is, just behind the radiator r0 tor," in order toreducetoa minimum the pos- E, and the other near the rear edge thereof, 60 'sibility'of rattling, while at the same time, just'in front of the dash B; quite probably being easily detachable by manual pull-upon under some circumstances one catch for each 7 the projecting outerhandle portion of each hood wall section would suflice. Adjacent catch, preliminary to 'thelifting of the supeachsone ofthese positions there projects 15 portingghood wall. The improved organiza from either the dash B or the radiator E or tion of parts here to be .described represents if preferred from the vehicle frame itself a an effort" to get away from the much used flfixed anchorage stem F whose suitably taperthough 1 concededly "unsatisfactory type of mg end portion crosses the path of operative hoodcatchawhereinap'ivotally anchoredhook." travel. of the corresponding hood. catch and fifi 'is'yieldin'gly held againstdrawing movement serves as an anchorage therefor, as will be axially lengthwisefof itself such'as is neceshereinafter further explained. sary for the .liftingrof the point of the hook 7 Each hood catch 7 construction consists into holding engagementawith. a suitable I essentially "of a generally three-sided or complementary or equivalentanchorage. squared U-shaped resilient member G, one In thedrawings: I V 1 I section of which, as H, is adapted to be se Figurel isan elevational view partly in cured'to the hood wall, as C, bytne rivet or section'and practically in full'sizefshowing' bolt I. i The opposite end of this U-shaped] I one of my improved devicesin position rela member G is preferably formed with a 'tively to'a hoodwall'and vehicle chass is,*s1ightly -inbent curve, as J, which is of the eo whichareshown'sectionally. I U 1 same general contour as the corresponding 86' *sFig-ure 2 is a siin'lar view, 'butwith the recess K in the irregularly shaped lever piece parts indifferent operative relation,;in that L, a nose or projecting portion ofwhich, as the -rfull-line 'representation. of the {externally M, engages througha slot N in that portion projecting handle there shown -is in raised of the spring piece G-next adjacent its curved position, andtheinternally located operative terminal J just mentioned. As brought out parts'arein variant positions accordingly. particularlyin elevational Figures 1 and 2,

,iFigure Sis a plan view from "above ofjone" the other salient'features of this lever piece L halfof amotor vehicle hood and the adjacent comprise'terminal parts 0 and P and an chassis parts, showing the-positioning ofmy' intermediate -peninsula-like tongue or prov p, improvedlcatch with reference thereto. fjections Q, which extends fromgthe generally 5 l Figure l is a partlyi sectional elevational concaved side of the irregular lever piece L view onsubstantiallythe same scale as'Figas awhole. e ures 1 and 2,; taken; along the iline i-e-i of As brought out by the respectiveposition- FigureB, and looking. outwardlytherefrom, ing of thefull and dotted lines representing 7 as'indic ated byithe arrows'there shown. {I this-lever pieceinFigures 1 and 2, it is' lim- Figure '5 is a similarrelevational view taken: itedly actuatable about its indented'or curved along the line5,5' ofFigure 3'and lookingface K and the corresponding spring end J Y inwardly, as indicatedby thearrows there as a turningbcenter, under actuation of the ShQWIl-i engaging and slightly kerfed end R'of the Arepresentsamotor vehiclechassis, hand lever S which is pivoted at. T to the. I

. by the lever S, as indicated bydotted lines in Q end of the til-shaped spring G just inside the hood wall, so that its'hand orfingerportion U projects outwardly for seizure by the user.

The full line positions of the lever Land 5 the handle S,'shown in Figure 1, represent these parts in relation to one another and to the hood'wall when the device is in locking position, that is, with the lower endP of. the lever L engaging tightly under the anchorage stud F, which is secured to either the radiator 'or the dash, dependingupon which one of the devicesis looked upon'as'under consideration. When the pivoted handle'S is'raised by upward draw upon itsprojecting outer end U, its kerfed end R wipingly engages against the surface X of the lever L, the;

path-of the extreme tip of the 'kerfed end' B of the lever S relatively to the branch N of the-lever L being indicated by the ,dotted line V in: Figure 1'. the lever S has madeit reach the position shown in dotted lines in Figure'l, its lrerfed inner endR has lodged in the little bay or recess form-ed by the side X or" the lever L tions Q. In such position it'will be noted, from the position ofthe dotted line Z-Z in Figure 1, that thepivot T of the lever S,

the kerfed end It thereof, and the curved holding position relatively to the" project ing'jstud F. The position thus far'attained' Figure 1, is correspondingly indicated-in dotted .lines in Figure 2, whereas the slight 40 further or overthrowing position thereof needed to effect the definite throw 0]": the lever L to a position where its lower end P will no. longer anchoringly engage the stud F, is indicated in'full lines slightly there-3 above. This slight. additional draw upon a very definite and positive strain upon the peninsula-like projection Q, by the kerfed, end R of the lever S, which results in throw--. ing the whole lever piece L' in a general downward direction about its curved face K'- and the corresponding curved end'J'of the spring G as a center, thus resulting in' throwing the lower end P of the'leverL definitely clear of the anchorage stud F, so thatwhen the hood'wall is thereafter lifted the lever end P will pass entirely outside of its range ly out ofalignment withthe curved turning face K, thus having efi'e'cted the snap over-. throw desired for the positive action of the V hoo'd catch. 7

When the draw upon- .sion.

already referredto and the small projec-e pivotal or turning surface K are not quite ln aligninent, 11130151161. words, the leverS' I the lever S, needed to effect this, has imposed throw position indicated by the line Y-Y.

In other words, if the relativeposition'of the projection Q, on the lever L as a whole were to be .moved somewhat downwardly, thus making the branch 0 of thelever L that much longer and the ,lowerbra'nch P accordingly shorter, the overthrow action would take place automatically and without the deheavier, stronger spring G, due to the change in leverage which this change would occalength ofthe two leverrsections O' andP, the greater willbe the strength of draw bygthe lower, anchorage-engagingportion P against the under side of thestem F. we

The hand-induced downward movement of the pivoted lever S, when the ,locking'of'the hood wall is desired, efiects'just the .Ophosite of the movements already described, in that its kerfed end R'wip inglyiand liftingly .en-

gages the edge X ofthe lever L, ultimately moving away from. its contactwith the pedotted lines in Figure 2 and man linesin Thus the greater the disparity in- Figure 1, thusbringing itsilowerend Pin 7 anchoringly subj acent position ,with respect to the anchorage stud F. If desired a small struck-up portion as of the: spring'Gmay be formed to project into'the path-ofupward swing ofthe 'leverS, to prevent its swinging ascent to an undesired degree.

It will thus benoted-tha-t not only is firmness of anchorage and quick detachab-ilityof I the parts thus reliably effected, but as well that no part of the lifting strain due to the hand-induced swing of the lever is transferred to the hood w'allC or D as such, since all of the strains represent in their last anal ysis merely a flexing 'of they generally, U-

shapedspring G, one side only'of which, as

H, is for structural reasons, attached to the hood wall. The inwardly swingingposition of the lower end P. of the lever L, when the catch as a whole is in detached position rel-; atively to the anchoragestud F, makes this lower end P act as aguard'against improper lowering or positioning of the hood wall when its re-lockmgis desired, since only whenthe lever end P isswung adequately far back from thehood wall canthelatter be lowered without the lower level-lend P striking the top oi the anchorage piece F .and thus in- Y mined, and consequently relieving the hood I f wallfitself of such strains, I desire it to be understood,'however, as clearly within 'thelinl terfering with the further lowering of the hood wall. If thehood wall should be so carelessly lowered asto throw the lever end Pquite to the outside. ofthe anchorage F, it

prevents the hood wall from being pushed in- Wardly, thus calling attention to the necessity of re-lifting the hood wall and lowering it in its proper planefl, 7 I have shown the'lever S aspivotally supported at T by the hood-wall-engaged end of, the curved spring G, whichis a preferable construction, in that, as heretofore empha sized, such a construction imposesall of the v operative stressesupon the spring, thus making the organizationlof parts really self-contended scope of this disclosure to'position the pivotal support of the hand lever upon the hood wall. Similarly,-the main portion of the spring G might be made quite rigid functioning as a sort of frame while supporting 7 spring elements at its ends, against whose resilient drawthe described action of thelever members would take place in the same man ner as already described.

What Iclaim is I 1. A hood catchadapted'for operative attachment to a hood wall, comprising, in combination with an anchorage element fixedly supported from a conveniently adjacent part o of a vehicle frame, a generally U-shapedresilient member, one branch ofwhich isadapted to be secured tothe hoodwall adjacent an apertured portion thereof," a lever member operatively supported from the opposite section of said resilient member and capable of limited I movement in a: plane generally coincident with theplane of said resilient member asa whole, and an operating lever extending through the ap'erture in the hood" wall and operatively engaging with its inner I 'end' a, selected-portion of said first named leverrnember, which latter is adapted to be -moved into and out of holding engagement with said anchorage element by the manually actuated swing ofsaid' operating lever.

' 2.111 a hood catch,in combination with a suitably positioned anchorage element, a plurally bent spring member one portion of 1 whichis adapted to be secured to the inner face of a hood wall adjacent an' aperture therein, an operating lever pivotally supported from said secured branch of said spring member and extending through the aperture in the hood wall for manual seizure, and a liinitedly movable lever member yoperativ'ely I engaged by the interiorly projecting end of said operating lever and rockingly supported by the inwardly projecting free end of said spring" member, adapted to thrown into and out of engagement with said anchorage element by} manually induced movement of: i saidj'operating lever. f e I \I aralii'ood catch, zcoinbinatien a.

generazlzly member zone ter urinal portion of which is adapted to be lse cim ed Ito 'a hlQd wfllladjacent an aperture tending thmoughthe .aperture in the hood I wall, .a second lever member supported ibyithe freeiend oft said-spring member in a substantially 'fcoinci/dentzwith "that of said op a p emaltin'g leWEBI' and :1? saidspring member as EHWlMDllB,itlJd 3p1le(ll to 'be swung into and out tot erig;agggennentt 'with' a suitably positioned chorage element by the manuallyinduced "swvimg-efsaid operating lever. W

'il-n A selzfreontained catch imemberttor moe fmehzicle hoods, having in gcombinatiom .a generally. U-rshazped sspring member, onevleg oif whiehi's adapted to be supported from the inner time :of the'hood WalLJa lever member pivotally supported in .a planeisubstantialzly l coincident with that of said spring member as a whole adjacent the "free opposite end thereof finom 1th at which islconnected'withithe hood and an operating lever pivotally supported at the hood-supported :end of said spring member andzoperatively engaging said first named lever member, :the manually seizable portion of said operating lever extend ing'lbtlhrongh an aperture ini'the hood wall and ably located anchorage element brought about by the manual actuation of said operating lever.

5. In a hood catch, in combination with a' generallyu-shaped spring member adapted to supportedly project from the inner face of a hood wall, an operating lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends from the sup the actuation of said first named lever mem- 7' I her into and outot engagement with a suitported end of said spring member in aplane;

ter as a whole, and a lever member operatively engaged by the inner end of said operating leverand supported in position of limited rocking movement by the free end of said spring member, adapted to be swung by manual actuation of the outwardly projecting end of said operating lever into and out, of engagement with a correspondinglypositioned anchorage element.

6; A self-contained spring catch for a motor vehicle hood, having in combination with a spring member one end of which is adapted robe attached to the hood wall adjacent an substantially coincident with that of the latup j, N

aperturedportionthereofla pair of operativelycorrelated lever members supported by the opposingly located ends of said spring member, one end of one of said'levers engaging through the hoodwall for external mamv rual actuation while its other'end is adapted l to act upon the other lever in opposition to its resilient support by the spring, the degree a of the opposition thus'encountered by it as therein, an operatingdever pivotally support- T ed by thee-secured end of said spring member "and havinga manually seiza'ble sportism exit traverses the I engaged part of the other lever being in inverse proportion .to the; rela- V7 tive swinging movement'of the two levers at any point in their respective paths of travel. '7.-In combination with an anchorage ele-j I ment supported by a fixed'portion of a motor vehicle structure-, arlever member-having a portion adapted. to lockinglyreng'age with said anchorage element, a curved spring member adapted to afford a pivotal and resilient sulpporttov said lever withone of its ends, the otherend ofsaid spring member heingsnpported from a hood wall of the vehicle" with reference to'the intended posi- 5* tion of whichsaidanchorage element is 10 cated, a manually actuatable lever supported adjacent the, wall-supported endof. said" curved spring with one end projecting I through the hood wall in position for selecg? tive manual actuation and with its other end in position of potential wipingengagement with a certain portion of said first-named leverifwhereby the latter is actuatahle against 1 the resilient confining action of said curved spring member into and out ofoperative engagement with said anchorage element toa degree inversely proportional to the movement of the hand-actuated lever. r

In testimony whereof I sign this specificaj tio'nk WILLIAM R. WILEY. 

